OHSU will put $100 million gift to work transforming cancer treatment in the region

Two years after receiving a $100 million gift from Phil and Penny Knight to support cancer care and research, Oregon Health & Science University has settled on a strategy to become a regional powerhouse in "personalized medicine" for the disease.

The three-prong plan includes a recruiting drive for researchers, the launch of a commercial DNA testing lab and the expansion of the university's cancer tissue bank into a unique and potentially profitable resource for researchers and drug companies.

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, which has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profits over the past five years, has boosted the pay of board members and top executives while sticking...